


watercolor roses

by fangirl6202



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Gen, May Parker (Spider-Man) & Tony Stark Coparenting Peter Parker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:15:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23418079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl6202/pseuds/fangirl6202
Summary: "And what shall I bring you, my sweet boy?" May Parker asked as she mounted her horse, adjusting the riding cloak on her shoulders.Peter smiled at his aunt, the only maternal figure in his life, reaching for her hand and holding it delicately. May Parker resented being treated as a gentle-woman, but how could she hold any resentment towards her sweet nephew? Oh how the two despised being separated from one another, but they would manage until her return."A rose. Like the one in the painting of Uncle Ben?"The laugh that escaped May brought a smile to Peter’s face. "You ask for that every year!"Ever since he was a small boy, he never asked for toys or sweets or clothes; he only asked for a rose. He beamed at his aunt. "And yet you bring me one every year.""Then I shall do it again," May laughed, bending down to plant a soft kiss on his head. "Goodbye, Peter. I'll return soon."-----A boy, a rose, a curse, and a Beast
Relationships: May Parker (Spider-Man) & Peter Parker, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Comments: 4
Kudos: 35





	watercolor roses

_ Once upon a time, in a faraway land, _

_ A Prince lived in a shining castle. _

_ Although he had everything his heart desired,  _

_ The Prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. _

_ But then, one winter's night, on the eve of his 25th year _

_ An old beggar woman came to the castle _

_ And offered him a single rose In return for shelter from the bitter cold. _

_ Repulsed by her haggard appearance, _

_ The Prince sneered at the gift, _

_ And turned the old woman away. _

_ But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, _

_ For Beauty is found within. _

_ And when he dismissed her again, _

_ The old woman's ugliness melted away _

_ To reveal a beautiful Enchantress. _

_ Bewitched by her beauty,  _

_ The Prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, _

_ For she had seen that there was no love in his heart. _

_ And as punishment, _

_ She placed a powerful spell on the castle, _

_ And all who lived there. _

_ The Rose she had offered, _

_ Was truly an enchanted rose, _

_ Which would bloom for another quarter century. _

_ If he could learn to love another, _

_ And earn love in return _

_ By the time the last petal fell, _

_ Then the spell would be broken. _

_ If not, he would be doomed for all time. _

_ As the years passed, _

_ He fell into despair, and lost all hope, _

_ For who could ever learn to love... a Beast? _

  
  


\------

"And what shall I bring you, my sweet boy?" May Parker asked as she mounted her horse, adjusting the riding cloak on her shoulders. 

Peter smiled at his aunt, the only maternal figure in his life, reaching for her hand and holding it delicately. May Parker resented being treated as a gentle-woman, but how could she hold any resentment towards her sweet nephew? Oh how the two despised being separated from one another, but they would manage until her return.

"A rose. Like the one in the painting of Uncle Ben?" 

The laugh that escaped May brought a smile to Peter’s face. "You ask for that every year!" 

Ever since he was a small boy, he never asked for toys or sweets or clothes; he only asked for a rose. 

He beamed at his aunt. "And yet you bring me one every year." 

"Then I shall do it again," May laughed, bending down to plant a soft kiss on his head. "Goodbye, Peter. I'll return soon." 

\----- 

Peter Parker’s smile could only be described as sunshine personified. It could bring a smile to the fact of even the most morbose of widows in town, no matter what they thought of his aunt. To most, his smile was a sign of genuine enthusiasm and happiness.

This was  _ not  _ one of those times.

"As long as I am present in her life, you will never have my permission to marry my Aunt!" Peter smiled brightly as he slammed the door in the Captain's face and promptly latched it shut. Once he was sure it was firmly locked, he wouldn’t put it past the Captain to attempt to force his way in, Peter leaned on the door and let out a sigh. 

It had been the 3rd time Peter had been asked that _ week.  _

He watched through the hole in the door as Capt. Steven Rogers was pulled away by his right hand man, James Barnes. It was the village's worst kept secret that Barnes fancied the Captain and that the Captain fancied him as well, but Steven kept his appearances up. He supposedly refused James' advances and only had eyes for one woman: 

His Aunt May. 

May was the most stunning woman in town, Peter was well aware, but he didn't see why Steven was so smitten. 

His aunt was an oddity to their small minded village. She was an independent widow, one with a proper education and no children if Peter wasn't put into consideration. She was an absolutely horrendous cook and despised housework, which is why Peter made sure to do it himself. Men like the captain wanted wives who would dote on them and be at their beck and call. May would never be that woman. 

Even if there was a possibility of it, May had vowed to never remarry after losing her love to war. She claimed Peter was the only other she could ever love again. 

"Captain Rogers again?!" A voice called from the dining room, sounding equal parts amused and exasperated. 

"Yes!" Peter called back, attempting to keep the frustration out of his voice as he returned to his company, who were sitting at the table enjoying themselves to the sweet bread Peter had gone out to buy. 

"Why must he continue to hound me?" Peter whined, dropping any fallacies. "I've denied all his pleads before! Would you believe; he offered me a cow in return for May's hand? As if she were a common mule!" 

"How dare he?!" His closest companion squaked, offended on May's behalf. The Good Lord only knows why Ned Leeds had decided to stick with the scrawny orphan with a weird aunt as a guardian throughout their childhood. Now both 17 years of age, neither knew how they could live without the other. 

"Quite rude," the other companion muttered, focusing on her book and not the conversation. 

The two boys shared a look of amusement at Michelle's disinterest. Michelle Jones was another oddity in their village, denying any and all suitors that came her way. She was beautiful, truly, but only Ned and Peter knew she fancied those of the fairer sex. 

"Michelle, are you even listening?" Peter inquired to which she responded with a vulgarity no lady would ever say in male company. Then again, Michelle was no lady. 

Peter adored both of his friends and was glad May gave her permission for the three of them to spend the week together as she left to visit family in another village. The three were thick as thieves and couldn’t be closer. 

He didn't know he would have handled his loneliness had he been left to his own devices. 

\-----

Peter glanced at the door, shivering in his worry and his coldness. The only warmth in the room was the quickly-disappearing candle he had lit, and it provided little comfort. It was cold and it was dark, but Peter dared not move from his chair.

It had been three days since May was supposed to return home.

Perhaps Peter was worrying. Perhaps May had just decided to stay a while longer and word had not yet reached him. But the thought did not calm Peter’s nerve.

He had barely slept the past few days, hadn’t touched the food Ned and Michelle prepared for him, hadn’t left their little house to go into town. He only sat in the chair in the kitchen, staring out the window, worry consuming his very being. Despite not being raised in the church, Peter even found himself praying without meaning to.

It was well past midnight, Peter supposed, as he stared out at the rain. It seemed only fitting that the weather mirror his emotions. It was getting darker and darker as his candle began to die out, his eyelids drooping until--

A sound jolted him awake. 

It was faint, barely heard over the rainfall, but Peter knew it immediately. 

May’s horse, Karen. 

Without a second thought, Peter jolted and ran out of his seat, accidentally throwing the chair to the floor. The crash was loud and thundering, sure to wake Michelle and Ned, but he paid it no mind as he raced out the door. 

“ _ Karen! _ ” He screamed into the darkness, gasping as the full force of the pouring rain and wind soaked him to the bone. He could not see, hadn’t thought to grab a lantern, so he began to scream louder. “ **_Karen!”_ **

Had he truly believed in the Lord, he’d get down on his knees and throw his arms to the sky in praise when the sound came again, and louder. He screamed out again, and heard the front door creak open. 

“Peter!” Came Ned’s voice. “Peter, what are you  _ doing _ ?!” 

He ignored it, growing more frantic by the second. Peter kept screaming, ignoring the amount of water forcing it’s way into his mouth. A light illuminated the landscape in front of him and he whirled around to find Michelle in the doorway next to Ned, holding a lantern with a look of worry on her usually collected face. Her eyes widened even more as she looked past him.

“ _ Peter, look ou--!”  _

The warning didn’t come quick enough, and Peter was blindsided as something rammed into him full-force. He would have been thrown had he not held onto the creature’s neck last second. He grunted in exertion, but he managed to swing his leg over the side of Karen’s body, grabbing a hold of the reigns.

The second Peter was mounted on Karen’s saddle, he reigned her in and his friends came rushing over. 

“See!” Peter yelled over the rain, coughing out mouthfuls of water. “May must be in trouble! I have to go find her!”

“Give us a moment to prepare!” Ned replied, shivering violently. “We’ll go with you!”

“No, we don’t have a second to spare,” Michelle said before Peter could. She looked at Peter with a fire in her eyes that could only mean she had made up her mind. “Go. Go find May and we’ll stay here to tend to the animals.”

He needed no other incentive. With one last look at his friends, a nod of thanks, he flicked the reigns and sped off into the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a little something I have been working on in self isolation. I never saw anything for it, but if you have any ideas for it, comment it down below! 
> 
> Thanks guys 😍 
> 
> Leave kudos and comments!!! I crave validation!!!


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